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3DS

North America

Mutant Mudds

by Neal Ronaghan - January 23, 2012, 9:15 am EST
Total comments: 10

9

The latest eShop title might be the best.

Mutant Mudds, from Renegade Kid (developers of DS first-person shooters Dementium and Moon), is a 2D platformer that plays like the love child of Gargoyle’s Quest and Virtual Boy Wario Land. For the most part, the company’s freshman platforming effort lives up to that Nintendo and Capcom pedigree. From start to finish, Mutant Mudds is a fantastic game that harbors a lot more depth than you might expect at first glance.

The game puts you in the role of Max, a precocious little kid who, with the help of his dear old Grannie, sets out to eradicate the titular Mutant Mudds. The spectacle-wearing hero can jump and use a jet pack that functions in the same way as Firebrand’s flight in Gargoyle’s Quest. He also has a water-powered gun that he uses to defeat enemies. The controls are simplistic and easy to use, using just two buttons and the D-pad/Circle Pad.

The levels all feature three layers of parallax that truly pop off the screen, as you jump between them at specific points. The graphics are bright and colorful, and benefit the game in a way that makes the 3D in other 2D 3DS games pale in comparison. The music, which feels like it could be ripped out of a Capcom game from 1992, is equally fantastic.

In each level, there are 100 jewels to collect, with which you can get different power-ups that do things such as boost your jump, improve your shot, and let you use your jet pack longer. Additionally, every level also features lovely secret areas that pay homage to the Game Boy and Virtual Boy, with either greyscale or red color palettes

 

Your main goal is to collect all 40 water sprites, which you gain for completing the 40 different levels nestled throughout the game’s five worlds. It is a grand challenge that, on occasion, can get frustrating. However, once you learn the way things work in the world of Mutant Mudds, it clicks. The game particularly opens up once you have access to the power-ups, since then it gives you more flexibility and control over how you maneuver. If you’re having trouble with an area, you can usually use one of the power-ups to help you out. Unfortunately, the way the game is designed, you need to pretty much beat the game to unlock all the power-ups.

Mutant Mudds is a top-tier eShop title, and deserves to be played by any fan of 2D platformers. Outside of the 3D effects, it doesn’t do anything too radical, but it doesn’t have to. Renegade Kid’s first 2D platformer is a sweet, sincere effort that will remind you of the great platformers of the early ‘90s.

Summary

Pros
  • Awesome and addictive retro-styled gameplay
  • Bright, beautiful 2D graphics
  • Great music
Cons
  • Can get frustratingly difficult

Talkback

KDR_11kJanuary 23, 2012

Looks like every major eShop title is "the best yet", the platform seems to be doing really well.

Quote from: KDR_11k

Looks like every major eShop title is "the best yet", the platform seems to be doing really well.

It feels ridiculous that I keep saying that, but it's true! Pushmo was the best yet! Then Mighty Switch Force challenged it! Then Mutant Mudds kicked them both in the junk!

eShop is the best shop.

Nintendo took the criticisms of all the terrible games on WiiWare and DSiWare to heart.

After watching the trailers, I was afraid that this game would be too easy. I'm glad it turned out to be the exact opposite.

ejamerJanuary 23, 2012

Mutant Mudds didn't look that great initially, but every time a new preview came out it looked better and better. My interest level is really high right now!


(Unfortunately my backlog is also at an all-time high, so I might not buy right away... but I am still very excited about the game.)

I've played through 1/5 of the game, right up to the first power-up, and it's been really slow going (not bad, but very generic). It captures Mega Man-style platformers well, warts and all. Neal says it should pick up around now; I sure hope so.

KDR_11kJanuary 26, 2012

Aw man, it didn't come out today in Europe.

Manthony ChopkinsJanuary 26, 2012

Played this for about an hour. It wasn't difficult at first but now it is starting to get challenging.

LittleIrvesJanuary 30, 2012

I really want to try this, especially after all the praise I've seen it get...  and if you follow the creator (@JoolWatsham) you'll see a near-endless stream of retweeted love.  But I'm still chipping away at 1. Unlocking 3DLand's secret level, 2. Pushmo puzzles, 3. Kart online, 4. Freakyform collecting, 5. all the stuff on 360 I've bought and neglected...  so I'm just not sure. I want to support Renegade Kid, and awesome 3rd party indie devs on the eShop in general, but I hate using that as a reason to buy a game. Think I'll wait until the fever strikes. Perhaps I'll play some WarioLand Virtual Boy to get me in the mood.

I finally got around to starting this, and after eight levels this is not only my favorite eShop game, but one of the best games I've played on the platform. I spent the better part of this week's RFN on the last level I played, and even dying time after time I loved every minute of it. Even when I died with 99 crystals on one level and then ran out of time with 99 crystals with the endpoint of the stage on screen on my next try, I couldn't stop playing.

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Genre Action
Developer Renegade Kid
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Mutant Mudds
Release Jan 26, 2012
PublisherRenegade Kid
RatingEveryone

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